Every year, on the first day of G/T classes, I showed Powers of Ten to my 3rd, 4th, and 5th-grade students. By the time my students reached fifth grade, many had seen this nine-minute video three times. They never complained; in fact, they loved telling new students, “Oh, wait ’til you see this; it’s so cool…” The students were always surprised by the fact that the film was made so long ago (1977). Not surprisingly, it has inspired newer versions such as this one, called Cosmic Eye, made by astrophysicist Danail Obreschkow. I would recommend showing both, but I think I’d still start with Powers of Ten.
The video was worth showing every year, I felt, because it ties into so many topics of study and has the effect of expanding students’ minds. Viewers can’t help but be reminded of all that’s going on around and in us, realities we don’t think about because they’re out of sight. After seeing the video, students usually make comments about how small they feel (as the video zooms out into space) and how weird they feel about all that is going on in their bodies (when it zooms in)! Throughout the year, the video would come up as we studied the microscopic and the astronomical. We’d discuss all the areas for study and research, and we pondered the UNANSWERED QUESTIONS still to be investigated. Connections were made to every unit of study!
Recently, teacher Natalie Medolla sent this video link to me, which is an updated version of the first half of the original Eames film. It “zooms out” into the universe and includes new information about what we have learned since 1977. It refers to the original, so I would still show students the “Powers of Ten” video before sharing this one.
SETTING IT UP
Here are a few suggestions to consider prior to showing the video to your students:
Explain the meaning of the title: Powers of Ten. Although my third graders had not learned about exponents, they easily picked up on the pattern: 10² = 10 x 10, and 10³ = 1,000, etc. Depending on your students’ abilities, you can turn this into an entire math lesson, but I usually just explained this briefly so that when they saw the powers of ten in the video, they had an understanding.
Prepare students for viewing: The music is a little eerie and unsettling to sensitive students, especially younger third graders, so I always prepared my classes for that. I told them that although the music may sound a little mysterious, the content is appropriate for students. It’s also a good idea to clarify that the images in the video are almost all animations, not real photographs! At least one student always asks!
Provide more background, if you choose: The makers of this film, Charles and Ray Eames, were innovators in architectural, industrial, and furniture design. Their accomplishments are many and their story is fascinating; you might like to tell your students a little more about them. You can read about them HERE or watch a brief video about them HERE.
COMPANION VIDEO for TEACHERS:
The Eames’ grandson, Eames Demetrios, created a 24-minute film for teachers showing how to teach the concept of scale in twelve components. Scale is the New Geography is a companion piece that shows teachers how to get the most out of the original video, Powers of Ten. Unfortunately, it’s no longer available on YouTube, but you can get it on DVD here.
RELATED LESSONS AND IDEAS:
From Nanoscopic to Astronomical ~ Introducing “Powers of Ten” Day
It’s In Your Genes ~ Inherited Traits and DNA Extraction
The Spreading of a Virus: A Simulation!
Have you used any of these films in your classroom? Subscribers to this site would enjoy hearing about it in a comment below! If you’d like to receive updates to this site about twice a month, you are invited to subscribe as well!
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